NAPA Auto Parts Consumer Reviews

WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA -- Downstairs of the parts store Napa has a their machine shop. Running this shop is George & his wife, Delores Jones. I dropped off a 1967 Pontiac 400 block, heads, tin, and rotating assembly. I needed the block boiled, bored .40 over, & decked. The heads needed hardened valve seats, regrinding of the valve seats and valve faces, and valves re-installed with new springs and keepers. decked, cleaned, & new valve seals installed. Also needed new bearings, and freeze plugs etc. Crank shaft to be cleaned and polished.
George claims to be a Pontiac specialist, Great! Before I left, George and I talked about him stopping by my place and bringing some of the tools I don't have and his Pontiac experience, he would make sure I was assembling the engine correctly. He agreed to do this for a reduced price, which I thought was very reasonable. I offered that we could make an evening of it, he could bring his wife, and we could cook a meal or order out, and make some of his favorite chocolate chip cookies too.
Well after being told it would take 2 month, it actually took 7 months. I found out from another customer, he was not only telling other people about my business with him, he was making me out to be a fool, for not knowing how to assemble the engine. He actually PRETENDED to be a friend, and had NO intention of coming to my place.
Worse that that, what I received back was a joke. The heads were not decked, despite needing it, the block was not decked, the valve covers were crushed somehow, the heads were full of steel shot, the crank shaft had stuffed oil holes & was not polished at all, the original valve keepers were re-used, except for one, which was did not fit correctly, I'm guessing to replace one they lost. The oil galley plugs were replaced using white water pump bolt sealer, All the valves were ground by hand, not machine, leaving three of the completely ruined. The valves were re-ground and re-installed despite 3 valves being bent. On top of that the cam bearings were scratched up badly, and he had ordered parts I did not want.
When I told George about the poor and incorrect work, he became defensive, and refused to admit anything was wrong. They offered to un-bend the valve covers, and I let them try, it didn't work, George got mad again, and his boss William then refused to pay for originals, despite that being exactly what I had. They gave me under a hundred dollars to buy aftermarket covers, and that is all they refunded me.
As for the rest of the work done wrong or not at all, William the owner said, sue me. Then he and George said they would bring people to testify against me!
There is actually more to this, and it is worse than I wrote here, but this is the basic problem. I had to take the block, heads, and crankshaft to an engine shop in Uniontown, and re-spend the money to get the work I already paid Napa for. Turns out George is a total hack and was not a Pontiac specialist after all. He just drag raced a pontiac, and that made him a specialist, by osmosis I guess.

LEESBURG, GEORGIA -- I purchased glue to replace my rear view mirror and it failed to hold. I returned and purchased another type glue recommended by the salesperson. The glue worked and I attempted to return the other glue but was told the manager had to handle the problem. I have been to the store numerous times (4) and the sales people give me a excuse he is not in. I know it is less than $5 but it is my monies. I left the item and my sales ticket with them the first time. I didn't know NAPA managers were trained not to refund monies or solve problems. Someone over this manager needs to retrain them. I will trade somewhere else for my automotive needs.

ALAMOGORDO, NEW MEXICO -- I had the displeasure of trying to get some simple auto parts from Napa today (1 Sept 09) here in Alamogordo, NM. Very rude, incompetent, and no clue on how to deal with customers is the norm at Napa, not the exception. Sadly, I have had this type of experience with Napa many times over the years. They seem to be "put off" when you come in the store like you are interrupting them.

They tried to sell me a fuel pump for $150.00 that I later got from Auto Zone for $44.00. The owner couldn't seem to understand that I had the mechanical fuel pump in my hand as a reference for a fuel block off plate, and that I wanted to go with an electric pump. One of the store clerks repeatedly got distracted from helping me by numerous phone calls and other customers coming up to the counter. I had a fuel filler hose in my hand that another store clerk measured with a micrometer at 1 1/4" diameter, then proceeded to tell me that they didn't have anything that big and their largest hose was 1 1/2".

At one point in time, one of the store clerks stated how he just knew that he got ripped off over the weekend by O'Reilly's and AutoZone. He then proceeded to look up the parts he bought from them in the Napa catalogs to see just how much money he overspent. I suspect he did not over pay, unless there is a significant employee discount. This idiot tried to "advise" me to only buy three feet of fuel line, instead of four feet, because "it's really expensive".

To say I was disgusted with these morons is an understatement. Napa really needs to quit servicing the general public (i.e. US "shade tree mechanics") and put a sign on the door that they only deal with dealerships and shops. In stark contrast is AutoZone and O'Reilly's. When you walk in, the store is clean and well organized. The parts are clearly labeled with the price. And the clerks are very nice and not rude. Napa should take notes. I strongly advise anyone looking for auto parts to avoid Napa.

YUBA CITY, CALIFORNIA -- December 13, 2011. Napa Auto Care Center on Bridge Street, in Yuba City, CA installed 4 shocks on my stock 1990 Ford Econoline E150. They installed the wrong shocks verified by Gabriel Shock Absorber Company, by drilling out the rubber and steel bushing on the shock absorber, so it would fit, even though this part is not specified for my vehicle. Gabriel Shock Absorber company technical advisor said that if the NAPA service agent had ordered the correct part number shock, it would have bolted in just like the factory shocks. Gabriel said the warranty was now void and they would not insure that the vehicle was safe to operate.

Daniel of Gabriel Shocks said that he had never heard of an auto repair shop doing anything like this. You can see the bolt going right through the yoke of the axle in the mounted position with no rubber and no bushing in place. Always demand that you get your OLD PARTS. Take pictures of anything and everything that is questionable. Maybe I will get my spare car keys that they have, in addition to a worry free repair from a "reputable" company.

NAPA "Warranty" (James in CO) reacted as if this was "no big deal" and wanted to refer me to another NAPA Care Center. No Way... a complaint has been made to the Bureau of Automotive Repair in CA, as well as to Gabriel Shocks and the shoddy work is photographed and witnessed so a formal complaint will be made via the State of California. I will show their work on the net for sure.